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Pelicans acquire rights to Alexander-Walker, Hayes, Silva

The New Orleans Pelicans today completed a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, acquiring the draft rights to the eighth overall pick in 2019 NBA Draft, Jaxson Hayes, 17th pick Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and 35th pick Marcos Louzada Silva. In exchange, New Orleans has traded the draft rights to the fourth overall pick, De’Andre Hunter and the 57th overall pick, Jordan Bone, to Atlanta, as well as forward Solomon Hill and a future second-round draft pick.

Hayes, 6-11, 220, spent one season at the University of Texas, appearing in 32 games for the Longhorns, averaging 10.0 points on .728 shooting from the floor, 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks en route to being named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and earning Second-Team All-Big 12 and Big 12 All-Defensive Team honors.

Alexander-Walker, 6-5, 205, spent two seasons at Virginia Tech, averaging a career 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 67 games (all starts). A native of Toronto, Walker-Alexander is the cousins of L.A. Clippers guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Silva, 6-5, 185, has spent the last three seasons playing for the Brazilian club Franca, appearing in 44 games and averaging 6.8 points and 2.2 rebounds. This past season, the Brazilian native was named an All-Star and the Most Improved player of the Novo Basquete Brasil after averaging 10.6 points per game – an increase from his 3.2 points per game during the 2017-18 season – and participated in the 2019 Nike Hoop Summit.

Hill, 6-7, 225, appeared in 136 games for New Orleans after signing with the team in July of 2016, averaging 5.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in a Pelicans uniform.

Hunter, 6-7, 225, whose rights were acquired in an earlier three-team trade involving the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards, appeared in 71 games over two seasons while enrolled at the University of Virginia, holding career averages of 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists. During his sophomore season, Hunter helped lead the Cavaliers to the 2019 Men’s National Championship, averaging 15.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists while earning Second-Team All-American honors from the NABC and Third-Team All-American Honors from the AP, USBWA and Sporting News.

Bone, 6-3, 180, appeared in 95 games over three seasons at the University of Tennessee, averaging 9.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists, and was named to the 2019 All-SEC Second-Team during his junior season.